**“I am a Maharashtrian and I am extremely proud of that. But I am an Indian first. And Mumbai belongs to all Indians.”
**These words spoken by that great Indian master batsman Sachin Tendulkar is at once a tangible evidence of everything great that India stands for as well as an effective, though unintended, stop to those elements of Shiv Sena that recently started acting up.
Bal Thackaray’s Shiv Sena in its attempt to one up his nephew who has been making steady gains against the Shiv Sena for the Marathi votes, tried a strongly worded protest of Sachin, only to be slammed back by the Marathi public.
Such is the esteem that Sachin commands, that great master of not just the bat but the goodness of the soft spoken patriot. Politicians, and film stars and industrialists respect him for his humble attitude. Amitabh Bachchan said he has held up movie shootings so as to watch Sachn play.
Here is my hats of to this great Indian who with one sentence of national integration has stymied the decades long message of divisiveness that the Thackarays have been attempting for their own personal power.
Long live Sachin Tendulkar!
Jai Hind!
Talking Point: Sena Vs Sachin, the national icon
The Shiv Sena’s almost unprecendented targetting of none other cricketing genius Sachin Tendulkar. The question that was being asked on CNN-IBN’s Talking Point was: Sachin Vs the Sena: Has the Sena lost the plot? To try and answer the question on the panel of experts was senior journalist Anil Dharkar; senior sports journalist Ayaz Menon and Shiv Sena Spokesperson Rahul Narvekar.
CNN-IBN: Sachin Tendulkar says he has a proud Maharashtrian but an Indian first, and that Mumbai belongs to everyone. What is so objectionable about what he has said?
Rahul Narvekar: Well, in so far as this issue is concerned, our party supremo, honourable Balasaheb Thackeray, has already expressed his views on it. Once the views of Balasaheb Thackeray have been placed on an issue, there is no question of anyone commenting further on the matter. And a clear reading of that article will throw light on that issue and there will be nothing more which needs to be answered by anyone else once Balasaheb has already expressed his views his on it.
CNN-IBN: You have asked Sachin to play cricket, not get into the Marathi mindspace. Aren’t you effectively insulting someone who is universally regarded as the greatest Maharashtrian icon we have today?
Rahul Narvekar: I don’t think there is an element of insult involved in this issue. We have the highest respect and regard for Sachin, that has also been expressed in today’s article. And a clear reading of that article by any person will make it absolutely clear what the issue is and I think a clear reading will solve this issue.
CNN-IBN: But you are not answering as to what is so objectionable that Sachin has said.
Rahul Narvekar: According to me, from the reading of that article there is absolutely no issue, there is nothing objectionable. Honourable Balasaheb Thackeray has placed his views before everyone, and we totally subscribe to those views.
CNN-IBN: The Shiv Sena seems to be going on the defensive. The fact is that across the country and in Mumbai, most people seem to be isolating Bal Thackeray on this issue. Do you believe the Shiv Sena has bitten off more than it can chew by taking on Sachin Tendulkar?
Anil Dharkar: I think the Shiv Sena has lost the plot. After the MNS came into prominence, there was some kind of desperation on the part of the Sena. What the Sena regarded as its teritory of guarding the rights of the Marathi manoos was suddenly usurped by the MNS. So there is an element of desperation which has crept in and the fact that the MNS did not take up this issue but the Sena did suggests to me that the MNS at least knows that Tendulkar is such a huge icon in Maharashtra that he cannot be attacked. And the Sena has attacked him in complete desperation, that’s all.
CNN-IBN: But isn’t this entirely political, a fallout of the Shiv Sena-MNS fight? You want to be one up on the MNS, but are ending up only embarrassing yourself by choosing the wrong person to target. Sachin Tendulkar is not Abu Azmi.
Rahul Narvekar: No, no. I think this is your view. But there is nothing political about this. We have praised Sachin in the past, we still hold him in very high regard. There are certain things which we found objectionable and as a political party as we have expressed our views on them. There is absolutely no question of making it a political issue.
CNN-IBN: Sachin Tendulkar is a cricketer, he’s far away from politics and to see him attacked like this has really got everyone’s hackles up. But is he getting that sympathy today only because he is a sportsperson?
Ayaz Menon: No, I think he is more than just a sportsman, I think he is such a huge role model for India and I think that it is interesting that Sachin at this juncture of his life has come up with this kind of a statement, sentiment. And I think this has rattled the Shiv Sena which is currently looking for brownie points vis-a-vis the MNS. Sachin Tendulkar has never shied away from the fact that he is a Marathi manoos but at least I think he has got his priorities right. All Marathis are also Indians first. What’s the big deal? I think that he has put the matter in perspective.
CNN-IBN: Over 20 years, Sachin Tendulkar has never raised any issue which would even remotely be construed as political. Do you think he was trying to send out a political signal to the MNS or the Shiv Sena when he responded to that question at the press conference?
Ayaz Menon: I think he was not trying to raise any political issue. I think he was just stating his state of mind. And this is a view which is subscribed to by millions and billions of Indians, so I think maybe it has just kind of been blown up because Sachin has said it, but what is the big deal? That’s what I am trying to understand. What is the meaning of the Shiv Sena editorial? We are all Indians first and whatever else after that.
CNN-IBN: This is not the first time that the Shiv Sena has attacked a great Maharashtrian. The Sena has taken on P L Deshpande and Vijay Tendulkar in the past. What kind of Maharashtrian asmita does the Sena stand for if it attacks its own Maharashtrian icons?
Rahul Narvekar: All I would say on this is I totally subscribe to my party leader’s views and so does my party. And we find nothing objectionable. At every point of time whenever criticism was done with regard to any particular individual, it was done with due merit, and we totally subscribe to what Balasaheb has said.
CNN-IBN: Do you concede that the Shiv Sena does not have the right to speak for all Maharashtrians and to that extent you have no right to tell Sachin Tendulkar what he should say?
Rahul Narvekar: The Shiv Sena has come into inception for the cause of Marathis and the Marathi manoos. So everytime and anytime we feel that there is an issue which affects the Marathi manoos, we will come out and speak for them, on behalf of them, irrespective of political gains or disadvantages.
CNN-IBN: Anil Dharkar please respond to this. Will the Shiv Sena get mileage out of this? After all, they are trying to send a message across that they will even take on a Sachin Tendulkar if they have to for the cause of the Marathi manoos.
Anil Dharkar: Look, if the Sena spoke for the Marathi manoos, they would not have lost three successive elections in Maharashtra. They speak for a certain number of people but they don’t speak for everyone. And they certainly don’t speak for every Maharashtrian - they don’t speak for me, they don’t speak for so many Maharashtrians. I think a lot of Maharashtrians regard themselves as Indians first. They regard Mumbai as bigger than just Maharashtra. They regard Mumbai as a city which belongs to India - a city which actually belongs to the world because it is one of the world’s biggest cities. And therefore what Sachin Tendulkar said expresses what a lot of Maharashtrians feel. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with what he has said. One point that I would like to make here is that I don’t think Tendulkar is trying to be political but he has expressed a view on something which is current and I see this as a very positive sign because usually our sportsmen and icons keep to their own professions and they don’t comment on what is happening around them. Like for example when the Gujarat killings happened, if people like Tendulkar and Amitabh Bachchan had expressed a view and begged people not to go on with the killings I think it would have had a fantastic effect.
CNN-IBN: Ayaz Menon do you share that view? Are we seeing icons like Sachin Tendulkar - who has consciously stayed out of any controversy now willing to take those stands on what are conscientious issues or was it simply a simple answer given by someone who always plays with a straight bat?
Ayaz Menon: I can’t read Sachin’s mind but there is so much petty flogging going on about this Marathi manoos issue. This is really a dispute between the MNS and the Shiv Sena and they are just clutching at straws now. I think what Sachin is saying literally, if you want to examine it really is: ‘I wear the blue India cap when I go out to play and that is priority number one for me. I don’t wear any other cap, it is not a Marathi manoos cap and for me India and being an Indian comes first.’ I think that is logical and absolutely sensible and in the current situation I think it is extremely timely.
CNN-IBN: But please tell us once again what is so wrong with what Sachin says when he remarked that Mumbai belongs to everyone? What is it that prompted you to target him?
Rahul Narvekar: No I don’t think anyone has criticised anyone. We have expressed our views on an issue and it’s as simple as that. There is no question of criticising. In so far as Sachin Tendulkar is concerned, I think we have always held him in high regard, we still hold him in high regard. If you read the editorial today, we have expressed our gratitude to Sachin for the achievements that he has had, the glory that he has got to this state, and we still hold him in very high regard. However, certain statements which he made have probabaly, have definitely hurt the Marathi manoos and the feeling of the Marathi manoos. So there is no further discussion on that.
CNN-IBN: Would we still be supporting anybody in Maharashtra today who says I am an Indian first and then a Maharashtrian and not just Sachin Tendulkar when he says it?
Anil Dharkar: I think anyone else making that statement would sound very pompous. When Tendulkar says it it carries weight. You have been trying to get a clear answer from Mr Narvekar this whole show and you have failed and the reason for that is that there is no answer at all. There is no logical answer at all.
CNN-IBN: But how are you standing up for the Marathi manoos by attacking someone who is regarded as the pride of Maharashtra and the pride of India?
Rahul Narvekar: Well that is clearly spelt out in the editorial. There is nothing much left for me to say on that issue. As I told you I totally subscribe to what my party leader, what my party supremo has said.
CNN-IBN: Does cricket then truly extend beyond certain boundaries? Is that the impact that the remark of Sachin Tendulkar can have?
Ayaz Menon: Yes absolutely. In my mind there is no doubt. This statement has gone beyond Tendulkar the cricketer. It is Tendulkar the national icon saying these things. Maybe it was not intended to come out this way but it has and it has raised a relevant issue